Family Hike

Last year around this time, I decided I wanted to start getting healthy and the way I was going to do that was that I was going to hike.  For those of you who don’t watch Sex and the City, I’m here to inform you that hiking is walking.

I started taking Jake to the park on the weekends and we’d “hike” meaning we’d walk the trails and he’d look for the little colored circles on the poles to tell us which path we were on.

This year, the bug hit me again.  The minute it was warm enough to spend more than 5 minutes outside, I knew it was time to start hiking again.  Plus I needed to get some “off day exercise” in.  I joined Orangetheory Fitness a while back (more on that later) and find that I need to take every third or fourth day off so I don’t get burnt out.  But I’m also on this “closing my Move Ring” kick, so I knew I wanted to get outside today and get moving.  I asked the boys if they wanted to join me and off we went.

Originally I had intended to go back to our old standby park for our hike, but on a whim I decided to google walking trails near me.  I found another park that was right across from the soccer field Jake plays on sometimes, so we decided to check it out.

We gave Jake the option of doing ½ a mile, 1 mile, or 1 ½ miles.  He said 1 ½ miles with no hesitation and went clomping into the woods in his boots.

It wasn’t long before we came upon the creek Jake’s school is named after, so of course we had to explore.

It was such a beautiful day and really not even that chilly.  It was in the upper 40s and, when we were in the woods, there was very little wind.  Jeff kept commenting on how quiet it was even though we were inside the city.  It was very calming and peaceful.

I think Jake thoroughly enjoyed himself today.

Especially when I asked if he wanted to go on a “treasure hunt” (geocaching).  I loaded up the app and we started walking.  Before we knew it, we got the alert that we were getting close!  In fact, we passed the location up before we knew it and had to double back.  After looking around for a minute, we spotted something in the tree.

Jake was SO EXCITED when we found the cache!  He was even more excited when I told him he could take a small toy from the container.  Not knowing we would be geocaching, I hadn’t brought anything with me to replace in the container but, Daddy to the rescue!, he put in a quarter.  Who doesn’t like finding money??

A little further along, we stumbled on this:

It was breathtaking.  Now, I’m all about the ocean and the beach, but there’s something soothing about a creek with trees and rocks, even if it is during the yucky cold season when everything seems dead.  I can’t wait to come back here when it’s all green and gorgeous outside!

Jeff and I never have pictures of us together since we are always the ones taking the pictures.  Since Jake is 6 now, I thought he was old enough to be responsible and not break my phone.  I set up the picture for him and told him what to do.

The result:

Not bad!  The ones he took after that weren’t terrible, but mommy didn’t feel particularly flattered by the angle he used so we’ll just pretend they don’t exist.

I’ve been meaning to take pictures of Jake in his 2030 t-shirt while he was in Kindergarten so we have them to compare with when he’s a senior.  I think we might end up coming back here for that photo shoot!

It was an awesome way to spend some quality time with my family on Saturday and I can’t wait to do it again!

Race to a Healthy, Happy Me

A few weeks ago, my life looked a little different.  I would go to work, come home, and sit.  Sure, I would play with my child and cook dinner for my husband and myself, but the thought of working out was just not present.

Yes, I had a baby almost eight (!!) months ago and it was definitely past time to start getting myself healthy, but I just couldn’t bear the thought of being on my feet at my retail job every day and then coming home to do even more physical movement.  I already had the tasks of making dinner, cleaning, doing laundry, taking care of my boys, etc on my list.  Could I really add another one?

I thought long and hard about adding in some exercise.  Well, actually it was a pretty short internal conversation:

Me:  I hate feeling tired all the time.  I have to work on my feet all day.  Why do I need to come home and do more physical movement?

Me:  You want to know WHY you’re so tired?  You’re out of shape!  If you get your butt in gear, maybe you’ll find energy you never knew you had.  And WHY should you do more movement?  To get healthy!  Duh!  You want to be a good role model for your little boy, right?  That’s why you make healthy dinners.  That’s why you keep the house clean.  That’s why you try to make healthy decisions, right?  Well, exercise is all part of that, my friend.  Now MOVE!

Me:  But I really don’t want to.  I’m fine the way I am.

Me:  Remember that picture you took when you were at a healthy weight and not classified as obese?

Right, that one.  You’re not gonna get that way by sitting on your butt.  Make a decision.  Be fat and lazy or be healthy and in shape!  Whatever your decision, just shut up and do it!

So, after that dialogue I made my decision.  Healthy and in shape is definitely the choice I choose.  I went to the gym the next day and started Couch to 5k!

Now, telling myself to move is one thing.  Having motivation that pushes me is another.  When Jo‘s husband said he was running in the Ghost and Goblin 5k in October, I made my second great decision.  I would sign up to run in it.  Before I could talk myself out of it, I paid the $20 and joined.  No turning back now!

Then, a few days ago, my manager told me our community at work was creating a group to walk in the Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes.  Walgreens is an avid supporter of walking and getting healthy.  This is just one more way to get the word out there.  I immediately agreed to walk!

Last weekend, Jeff, Jake, and I went to visit Carolyn in Louisville.  While at breakfast at Wild Eggs (if you live in Louisville, you MUST go!), all these people had on white shirts covered in splotches of color.  What the heck?  Carolyn informed me there was a race called the Color Run that weekend.  Basically the concept is to run the 5k while being splattered with paint powder.  I’d never heard of such a thing, but it looked really fun!

(source)

Well, this morning I was talking to a different friend who mentioned there was a color run coming up in Cincinnati in October!  Yay!  I watched the video below and started to get really excited.

Please tell me…who wouldn’t want to be a part of “the happiest 5k on the planet”?  I’m stoked!

So, my friends, the morale of the story is I made the decision to be a healthy, happy me.  I started running again, I started going back to Zumba, I started eating better.  Basically I started caring for myself again.

And I’ve never been happier.

How are you making yourself a healthier, happier you?